


when it’s 1am

by peachesandlesbians



Series: different ways to say i love you [1]
Category: The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, No Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-21
Updated: 2020-06-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:54:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24835711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peachesandlesbians/pseuds/peachesandlesbians
Summary: Andy blurts out "I love you" at the worst possible time.
Relationships: Emily Charlton/Andrea Sachs
Series: different ways to say i love you [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1796488
Comments: 8
Kudos: 54





	when it’s 1am

**Author's Note:**

> okay so i found these prompts off tumblr that are basically little descriptions of different ways to say "i love you" and i really liked them, so i'm gonna write them. this one isn't the best but ✌️also this lowkey feels like a young college au eye—

> _"when it’s 1am and you blurt it out but she’s already asleep in the passenger seat, and a little part of you wishes you said it earlier but another part of you is relieved."_

* * *

Parties are nice. No, no, Andy corrects herself. Parties aren’t nice. Parties are tedious and boring and involve too much talking to old men. Small gatherings with the _Runway_ crew are nice. Having a couple of drinks is nice. Getting completely wasted, in Emily’s case, is nice. But not parties.

Andy giggles, earning a poke from her irritated companion. All the types of drunks were familiar to Andy (horny was Serena while Nigel was a mix of happy and existential), but bad-tempered and annoyed was a new one. 

“I’m trying to sleep here. What the bloody hell are you laughing about now?” Emily squints one eye which sends Andy into another round of giggling.

“I have no idea.” She snorts, clapping her hand over her mouth. “Sorry. Go back to sleep.”

“I will if you shut up.”

The snarky remark only amuses Andy more, but she bites her bottom lip to stop any escaping noises. Perhaps she had one too many drinks, but it’s fine! She can drive in a reasonably straight line. There’s absolutely nothing to worry about. 

Andy’s such a good driver that she focuses on signaling, staying under the speed limit, not going zig-zag, all that jazz. It’s pitch-black outside, the only light coming from the street lamps which are too dim to illuminate the inside of the car. On any other day (an alcohol-free one), Andy would be casting wary looks at the darkness, but today she revels in it. She and Emily are in their own safe cocoon in the early hours of the morning. It’s reassuring how time seems to stop for them.

Andy pulls up to the curb, making sure her tires point toward the curb like her driving handbook said all those years ago. Oh, wait. She furrows her brow. She only needed to do that when on a hill.

Andy pauses. Then shrugs. Oh, well. Who says gays can’t drive? Not her. 

No. Andy stifles her laugher. She will not cackle like a witch about to curse some poor fool. It’s not that funny. Frantic thoughts run through her head as she tries to distract herself. Like … dogs! Dogs are a wonderful distraction that will not frustrate Emily more. Or books! Books will make sure she will not say something stupid like _I love you_.

Of course, that’s exactly what she does. “I love you!” Andy blurts out.

_What the fuck._ Andy squeezes her eyes shut, bringing her knees up to her chest—thus banging them against the wheel. “Shit!”

Death would be nice at this moment. Who cares if it’s painful? Anything would be better than silence. The awful, heavy silence as she waits for a response. This was the wrong time to confess. But love was so foreign to Andy that once it popped into her head, she had to say it out loud to make it real. Loving—the active act of wanting to take care of someone—and Emily, of all people, just didn’t go together!

But it did. In some strange, hazy way love goes with Emily, follows her around, steps on her heels until Andy can’t separate the two. Maybe it’s the vodka she had earlier, but love is Emily. Emily is love. Only, Andy didn’t realize it until now. It’s that simple.

“Em?” Nothing but silence. She must really hate Andy.

With a deep breath, Andy gathers all her courage and glances toward Emily. It’s a one-second look, but it tells her all she needs to know. Emily is sleeping.

All the tension leaves Andy. She collapses against her chair, banging her head against the headrest. “Oh my god. Oh my fucking god.”

Emily’s asleep. Dead asleep.

“I am so stupid.” She sighs. “Yeah.”

A part of her is relieved. Though it only became clear to Andy now, there was this string threaded throughout their relationship and her feelings that led to this moment. Not Andy telling the truth about something that should have been obvious, but the realization. The acceptance. It’s out in the open, for her, at least.

Andy takes a moment to watch Emily, this time with a smile on her face. The _I love you_ isn’t clear to Emily yet, and perhaps she should have said it earlier, but there will be more chances. Andy will make sure of it. 

But for now, it’s time to wake up the sleeping princess. 

“What?” Emily practically bites Andy’s hand off. “What now?”

More like the sleeping dragon. “We’re at your place, jeez.”

“Oh.” Emily yawns, and Andy focuses on the way her face scrunches up in a very undignified manner. It’s quite cute.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” 

_Because I love you._ “Because you have drool all over your face.”

All the laughter Andy’s been holding back escapes as Emily yells something she won’t repeat and flings the seatbelt out of her way. She probably would have thrown it at Andy’s face if she could.

And just for kicks, Andy says _I love you_ again, after the door slams shut, after Emily stumbles up the sidewalk, after there’s nothing left in the car but Andy and darkness. “I love you.”

  
  



End file.
